Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 239-695-2945; 8am-4:30pm)
From Royal Palm, Hwy 9336 cuts through the belly of
the park for 38 miles until it reaches the isolated Flamingo Visitor Center, which has
maps of canoeing and hiking trails. Call ahead about the status of facilities: the former
Flamingo Lodge was wiped out by hurricanes in 2005.
Flamingo Marina
(
239-695-3101; store hours 7am-5:30pm Mon-Fri, from 6am Sat & Sun)
has reopened and of-
fers backcountry boat tours and kayak/canoe rentals for self-guided trips along the coast.
Gulf Coast Visitor Center
PARK
( 239-695-3311; 815 Oyster Bar Lane, off Hwy 29, Everglades City; 9am-4:30pm)
Those with
more time should also consider visiting the northwestern edge of the Everglades, where
the mangroves and waterways of the
10,000 Islands
offer incredible canoeing and
kayaking opportunities, and great boat tours with a chance to spot dolphins. The visitor
center is next to the marina, with rentals (from $13 per hour) and various guided boat
trips (from $25). Everglades City also has other private tour operators who can get you
camping in the 10,000 Islands.
Sleeping
Everglades National Park has two developed campgrounds, both of which have water,
toilets and grills. The best are the first-come, first-served sites at
Long Pine Key
(
305-242-7873; campsite/RV site $16/30)
, just west of Royal Palm Visitor Center; reserve
$16/30)
, which have cold-water showers and electricity.
Backcountry camping
(permit
$10, plus per person per night $2)
is throughout the park and includes beach sites, ground
sites and chickees (covered wooden platforms above the water). A permit from the visit-
or center is required.
Getting There & Around
The largest subtropical wilderness in the continental USA is easily accessible from
Miami. The Glades, which comprise the 80 southernmost miles of Florida, are bound by
the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west. The Tamiami Trail
(US Hwy 41) goes east-west, parallel to the more northern (and less interesting) Alligat-
or Alley (I-75).
You need a car to properly enter the Everglades and once you're in, wearing a good
pair of walking boots is essential to penetrate the interior. Having a canoe or kayak helps
as well; these can be rented from outfits inside and outside of the park, or else you can
seek out guided canoe and kayak tours. Bicycles are well suited to the flat roads of Ever-
